Manchester United will be back on the road in the Premier League as the Red Devils will look to maintain their away record. The Red Devils will travel Bramall Lane as they face bottom-placed in the league, Sheffield United. Manchester United have a relatively fit squad at their disposal and Solskjaer will be expecting to do well in the Premier League after crashing out of the Champions League.
Sheffield United have taken only one point from 12 games in the league and United will be the favourites to get all three points. The Red Devils might not chop and change their squad a lot as the Red Devils played well against City in the weekend. But still, no one knows what is Solskjaer’s best starting XI and it seems the Norwegian himself is still experimenting.
Let us now have a look at how Ole Gunnar Solskjaer might lineup the Red Devils against Sheffield United in the Premier League.
THE 4-4-2 (DIAMOND)
The 4-4-2 (Diamond) is the one of the best and most used systems by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Manchester United this season, especially in the Premier League. The Red Devils squad has a lot of depth in the midfield region and it has been exploited by Solskjaer by using the diamond in the midfield. United are expected to have a fully fit squad with Cavani also pictured in the training camp before the squad travels to Bramall Lane.
Scott McTominay and Fred have heavily relied in the midfield as both the midfielders cover every blade of grass on the pitch. Their tenacity and stamina has also served well to the Red Devils defensively. Bruno Fernandes has again won the Premier League Player of the Month for November and will be expected to score and himself as well as create chances for others.
Martial will be expected to come back to the starting XI and linkup with Marcus Rashford and cause havoc to the Blades’ defence.
THE 4-2-3-1
The 4-2-3-1 is another formation that has been extensively used by Solskjaer at United but hasn’t been used for a while after the Tottenham loss. Matic and Pogba proved to be defensively poor and the centre-backs surely need help defensively. But against Sheffield United, who have been struggling to get goals, Solskjaer might be tempted to use this formation with this personnel.
Donny Van de Beek and Fred might also be used in the double pivot in such a system as defensively, Sheffield will not be expected to exploit Manchester United. Either of Juan Mata or Greenwood will be expected to take up the right-wing spot in such a system. But it is still unlikely for Solskjaer to use this system but who knows what he may have in store.
THE 3-5-2
The 3-5-2 is the only other system that Solskjaer has used for Manchester United in his time at the helm but has only used it in the big games. It is almost an impossibility for the Norwegian to set up Manchester United in such a system this weekend in the Premier League. Manchester United should comfortably win the game but you never know what you can expect from the Red Devils this season.
